One Last Job
by Fallacy
Summary: Shepard recieves a package from the Illusive Man, but she has no idea why he thought she would want an elderly man. oneshot.


AN: I originally was going to follow through with this idea, write up a full blown multi-chapter fic, however after writting a few chapters I realised that I would mostly be retreading cannon, I also was not happy with my characterization of Snake. So now this lives on as a one shot, basically the first chapter I wrote with some minor edits to remove the now redundant foreshadowing. I still like this set up, and would be very interested in reading about it, I just dont think that I could write it to a standard I would be happy with.

Snake is a surprisingly hard character to write, he is such a caricature that writting anything from his POV comes off as borderline ridiculous.

* * *

"You must be Joking" Shepard said.

"The Illusive Man does not usually joke." Miranda replied.

"Well what am I supposed to do with him?" Shepard asked "Put him in a nursing home?"

She looked down at the stasis pod in front of her again, the face of an elderly man stared back at her. His hair was completely white, including his moustache, and half his face seemed to have been burnt resulting in horrible scarring.

"According to Cerberus Intel this man is a veteran soldier, he was the best back in his time." Miranda informed Shepard.

"well it is not hard to believe he is a vet, but 'his time' must have been more than fifty years ago, this guy would have been my age back during the first contact wars." Shepard said, frustrated.

"Long before that actually" Miranda said "He has been in stasis since the early 21st century."

"Great" Shepard grated sarcastically "Not only is he ancient, he is literally from another century. This guy will be of no use to us, tell the Illusive Man thanks anyway."

Shepard turned to leave the room, but Miranda placed a halting hand on her shoulder.

"The Illusive Man went through a lot of trouble to acquire him" the said seriously "We should wake him before we make that decision."

Shepard sighed in defeat, this argument was not worth it, she would wake him up, then once Miranda was satisfied he was of no use to them, she could drop him off at the citadel or somewhere similar.

"Fine, wake him." Shepard said as she walked out of the room.

* * *

"Commander, doctor Chakwas would like to see you, he has woken up." Yeoman Chambers informed Shepard as she walked passed her.

"Thanks for that" Shepard said as she headed toward the med bay.

She entered the med bay and saw Chakwas running a few tests on her new patient.

"So how is the new guy?" she asked as she walked toward the patients bed.

"He seems healthy, or as healthy as can be expected" Chakwas replied "I am still waiting for test results to come back for blood work and a few other things, I should know in an hour."

Shepard nodded and turned her attention to the old man.

"Hello. I am Commander Shepard of the Normandy, who are you?"

The old man looked at her, then slowly sat up in the bed. Shepard could not help but notice his old gnarled fingers and his course breathing. Truly the man belonged in an old peoples home.

"Where am I" the old man asked.

Shepard balked at his voice, _This guy must have gargled broken glass to get a voice like that!_

"You are on the Normandy, you are safe, What is your name?"

"Call me Snake" he replied. "Normandy, strange, why am I in a French facility?"

It took a moment for Shepard to realise that this man had mistaken her when she said Normandy, assuming she meant the coastal area of France.

"No, we are not at Normandy, the ship we are on is called Normandy, the Normandy SR2 to be precise."

"At sea?" Snake asked

_What kind of name was Snake anyway? _Shepard asked herself.

"No, this may be difficult to hear, but you have been asleep for almost two centuries, the ship we are on is a space faring vessel." Shepard informed him, hoping the shock would not give him a heart attack.

"Space faring?" Snake asked

"Yes, for travelling through space" Shepard answered.

"I am going to need a detailed explanation of things" Snake told her.

Shepard sighed "Very well" she said, as she began explaining humanities history over the last two centuries as well as significant technological advancements.

After Shepard had finished her explanation of things she left Snake to digest it all, she was unsure of how he handled the news, he was turning out to be a hard man to read. Besides she had things to do, she had to visit Anderson at the citadel.

After talking to Councillor Anderson, getting reinstated as a spectre as well, Shepard spent a couple of days on the citadel, she made a few credits and kept herself busy while coming up to speed on current events and all she had missed in the two years she was dead.

As she walked back on the Normandy Joker greeted her.

"Hey Commander, I have this Aunt, she's super old and wheelchair bound and all."

"Why are you telling me this Joker" Shepard asked, confused as to where he was going with this.

"Well, I am the only family she has left so I have to take care of her, I am looking for a home to put her in."

"And…?" Shepard prompted, still confused.

"Aaand, seeing as you are now taking on an aged care role, I was wondering if she could come stay here on the Normandy, it would save me heaps of money." Joker continued

"What are you talking about?" Shepard asked, getting a bit frustrated.

"You know, that old guy who has been walking around today, has the complexion of two-face? I figured you were turning over a new leaf, new life, new profession, all that kind of thing."

Shepard sighed "So he is up and walking now huh?"

"Yep, which is surprising because I thought he would need a Zimmer frame or something." Joker said, but Shepard was already gone.

She found Snake in the starboard observation deck.

"Hey, how are you? Comfortable?" Shepard asked, unsure of what else to say.

Snake merely grunted in reply. He was wearing the same clothes they found him in, an old fashioned military get up, complete with a black bandana tied around his head.

Shepard decided to just bring this to conclusion.

"Look, you were revived because it was believed you could help me, I have a very dangerous mission, and I am assembling a team, Intel said you were the best." Shepard paused, trying to put together the words she would say next, "It seems a mistake has been made, your age was not a known factor, I apologise for the trouble, we can drop you off anywhere you want, you could even leave now, the citadel is as good a place as any.

Snake looked at her with a serious expression "I am no longer a soldier, it was my wish to live out the remainder of my life as a man, not a beast."

A little unnerved by him describing himself as a beast Shepard none the less nodded "Alright, just let me know where you want to be dropped off."

"What is the mission?" Snake asked.

"oh, don't worry about that, I will handle it." Shepard told him.

"Shepard…" Snake drawled, indicating he was unsatisfied with the answer given.

Shepard shrugged, what was the harm in telling him? "Human colonies are being targeted by aliens known as collectors, already entire colonies have disappeared thousands have been taken by the Collectors, I am going to stop them."

"You are going to take on a force that has whipped out colonies with one ship?" Snake asked in disbelief.

Shepard smiled "It's a good ship, and I am going to get the best crew I can."

Snake nodded "Then you may need me after all"

It took a while for Shepard to register what he said, "No, as I said, I will handle it, you don't need to be involved."

"You need all the help you can get by the sound of it." Snake said.

"No offence, but you will just be in the way. I am sure that you were once a great soldier, but those days are passed, let me handle this." Shepard told him, not unkindly.

Snake stood up at that, "Yes, my best days are behind me, but I still have a few good days left in me."

Shepard shook her head "No Snake, you should leave this to me."

"I am not as fragile as you think" Snake said, frustration coming through, "How about a quick sparring match so that I can prove it."

Shepard so no way around it, and figured this would end the conversation quickly, "Very well"

Snake put his hands up, his fingers curled but not quite fists, knees bent. Shepard admitted to herself that he looked like he knew what he was doing, he must have been formidable in his prime.

Shepard stepped in quickly to deliver a swift hit to his gut. She was only using part of her strength, she did not wish to injure the man. Before the blow landed though, she saw his left hand move, swift as a viper, he grabbed her wrist, the next thing Shepard knew she was whirled onto the ground, looking up at her sparring partner, Snakes knee on her throat, constricting her breathing. Shepard quickly tapped out and Snake released her, standing back up. Shepard brought herself back to her feet and regarded the man differently. He was not as fragile as she had thought.

She attacked Snake again, this time with all her strength, again Snakes hands moved at frightening speed, stopping her punch, then unbalancing her and shoving her backwards, before she could recover Snaked kicked her squarely in the chest, knocking her on to the floor, again.

"seen enough?" Snake asked, looking down on her.

Shepard ground her teeth "Yes, you can stay, sorry for underestimating you, Mr big hero" she snapped, feeling humiliated.

"I'm no hero" Snake said turning away from her, "But I may be the person you need right now."


End file.
